Folk Dance Ali Ai Ligang of Assam

Ali Ai Ligang of Mishing Community

Folk Dance Ali Ai Ligang :-

A popular spring festival celebrated in Assam, Ali Ai Ligang is a beautiful folk dance form. This festival is linked closely with agriculture and marks the commencement of Ahu Paddy Cultivation. Mishing Community basically celebrates this festival with great fun and enthusiasm. Ali Ai-Ligang, the spring festival of the Mishing Tribe is the most colourful festival held every year on the first Wednesday (Ligange lange) of the month of 'Ginmur Polo' (February-March). 'Ali' means root, seed; 'Ai' means fruit and 'Ligang' means sow. that is why 'ceremonial' sowing of paddy starts on this day. A dance is performed by the young boys and girls, characterized by brisk stepping, flinging and flapping of hands and swaying of hips reflecting youthful passion, reproductive urge and joie-de-vivre.

On the very first day of this festival, paddy is sown in the fields displaying a ceremonial beginning of spring season. Several other activities are also performed during this festival for example, ploughing. During this festival, tree cutting is strictly forbidden.

"Poro Aapong" or rice beer, Pork and dried fish is essential for the feast. The festival continues for five days and during this festival certain taboos with respect to the cutting of trees, fishing, ploughing, burning jungles etc. are strictly observed.

Musical Instrument Used In Ali Ai Ligang:-

The Music composed for these festivals consists of instruments like the drums, sifung (flutes), cymbal, gong and gungang (gagana).

The songs of Ali-Ai-Ligang do not remain restricted to the songs of youth alone. The subjects and themes of the songs are varied. They include the life of a man, his sufferings in this life and his death. Apart from them, the songs describe the matters of individual love and affection including joy and pain. Mainly the songs of the festival speak of the various experiences of the Misings in their day to day life

Costumes of Ali Ai Ligang Dance:-

The men and women wear traditional costumes. The traditional dress of man of this tribe is "Gonro ugon" (Dhuti), "Mibu galuk" (shirt), "Dumer (Gamucha) etc. And the women wear long sarees or skirt kind of stuff and seem colourful and beautiful in their whole attire.

Picture of Indian Arts Ali Ai Ligang Dance :-

                

           

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Folk Dance Bagurumba Of Assam

Folk Dance Bagurumba :-

Bagurumba is one of the traditional dances of the Bodo people from Assam – a North-Eastern state of India. This dance is associated with the end of winter and the coming of spring. Bagurumba is performed as a part of the Bodo festival called Bwishagu, which comes around the Bishuba Sankranti that in turn falls in the month of April. It is also known as the “Dance of Butterflies” as it is famous for its resemblance to the merry flights of butterflies and birds in spring. The Bagarurumba plays an important role in the Bathou Puja of the Bodo tribes and it also functions as a form of relaxation and entertainment for the village folk during the rigorous agricultural activities during the spring, for example the plantation of crops like rice.

The Bagurumba dances appear to be designed for and are commonly performed by the young women of the community. In the performance the dancers are energetic and enthusiastic but at the same time it also depicts the natural grace of Bodo women as they collectively create the images of butterflies in flight. Bagurumba dance has large fixed formations of Bodo women dressed in traditional and colourful attire like the Jwmgra, Aronai and Dhokna. The music is provided by Bodo musicians using the ancestral instruments of the tribe and usually the dancers chant “Bagurumba” in meter and rhythm.

As per the Bodo mythology, the Bagurumba dance is favored by a supreme deity called ‘Bathou’ represented by the Sizu Plant that belong to the Euphorbia Genus. The nature of the dance is peaceful and yet it represents the vitality of the spring. The origin of the Bagurumba may be found in the original naturalistic beliefs of the Bodo tribes, as its few songs are just simple images of nature.

Musical Instrument Used In Bagurumba :-

There are only two variants of Bagurumba that are Natural and Royal Bagurumba.

While the Natural Bugurumba is performed with only instrumental music, the Royal Bagurumba performances incorporate songs and vocalist music.

Most of the traditional Bodo instruments are given below that are used to accompany the Bagurumba dances.

Siphung - It is a long five-holed flute that produces much lower notes than the regular North Indian flutes. It is also made of bamboo.

Serja – It is a bowed instrument that has a basic design with a circular resonant body and a forward facing scroll.

Tharkha – it is a piece of split bamboo used for percussion.

Kham – This is a longitudinal drum.

Khawang – These are a pair of small cymbals held together with a rope. It is similar to a Namghar.

Costumes of Bagurumba Dance :-

Bodo women in their colourful dokhna, jwmgra and aronai (attire) perform the Bagurumba dance which is also called the Bardwisikhla dance. It is actually a saree form of attire worn by the woman of the community and having a shawl kind of stuff hanging over their shoulders and performing the Bagurumba Dance.

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Jhumur Nach of Tea Garden workers Assam

Folk Dance Jhumur Nach :-

Jhumur Nach is a famous dance form in Assam performed by boys and girls, usually tea workers working in the sprawling tea gardens of Assam. The dance form is quite appealing. The dances are performed during the autumn season in Assam. This dance is also found in few parts of West Bengal. The tea tribes of Assam state is an oldest tribe of this state, which has completed almost more than 100 years.

This tribe had been introduced the new dance form, which is known as Chah Baganar Jhumar Nach or it is also known as tea garden's Jhumar dance. Accuracy of footsteps with tight clasping on both person's waist is very difficult; but in visualization, it looks beautiful. During the trip of Assam, when one sees the tea garden, he will get the chance to see this dance performance and would be witness of this dance.

The dance gets its name from the cluster of bells worn round the ankles, which make a clanging noise. There are many variations of Jhumur. This dance is sometimes performed as a ritual worship of gods and goddesses, sometimes for courting and lovemaking, and yet again as a prayer for rainfall. This dance incorporates songs and dialogues, which depict the joys and sorrows, yearning and aspirations of the everyday lives of the common people. It is believed that Jhumur was originally a means of recreation between phases of tedious agricultural work. Probably the most entertaining form of Jhumur is the Bhaduria, performed as thanksgiving for a bountiful monsoon.

Musical Instrument Used in Jhumur Nach :-

Generally a drum, hung on shoulder; a flute and a pair of "Taal" (two metallic discs) are the main musical instruments in the dance.

The lyrics of Jhumur are built on day-to-day languages and mostly depict love and or pleasures and pains of day-to-day life

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Costumes of Jhumur Nach Dance:-

The costume worn by the jhamur dancers is different from the other traditional costumes. The male members wear long traditional dresses and woman wear sarees with broad boarders. The dress is simple yet colourful.

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Bihu Folk Dance of Assam

Folk Dance Bihu :-

Bihu or Bohag Bihu is the most important festival of the people of Assam and is celebrated in mod-April to welcome spring. Cattle rites are performed on the first day, and homage is paid to elders, relatives and friends on the second day with a special Bihu meal. The third day is set apart for religious services. Games and sports, special Bihu songs and dances, fairs, etc., are a part of the Bihu celebrations. The Assamese also celebrate Magh Bihu in January, and Kati Bihu in October. The Bihus are the national festivals of Assam. The most important festivals of Assam are the Bihus, celebrated with fun and abundance by all Assamese people irrespective of caste, creed, religion, faith and belief.

The Three Bihus in Assam

In a year there are three Bihu festivals in Assam - in the months of Bohaag (Baisakh, the middle of April), Maagh (the middle of January), and Kaati (Kartik, the middle of October). The Assamese Bihus have been celebrated since ancient times. Each Bihu coincides with a distinctive phase in the farming calendar. The most important and colourful of the three Bihu dance festival is the harvest festival Bohag Bihu or Rangali Bihu celebrated in the middle of April. This is also the beginning of the agricultural season.

1.   The Bohaag Bihu or the Rongali Bihu

Rongaali Bihu’, the most important Bihu of all the three, is celebrated in the month of Bohaag (middle of April), the first month of the Assamese calendar and thus marks the advent of the Assamese New Year. This Bihu is also known as Rongaali ( ‘Rong’ denoting joy in Assamese)

2.   The Magh Bihu or the Bhogali Bihu

The Magh or the Bhogali Bihu, the harvesting festival is celebrated in January by community feast, buffalo fight and such other entertainment. The Maagh Bihu marks the end of the harvesting period. Maagh Bihu is also called Bhogaali Bihu or the Festival of Food. It is held in temporary thatched houses (made with thatch and dry plantation leaves/ trunk) known as Bhela Ghar or Meji Ghar) specially erected for the purpose mainly in the barren paddy fields from where the crop has already been harvested. A Community feast is one of the main features of this Bihu which is held near the Bhela Ghar. People spent the night of the community feast in the Bhela Ghar and early in the morning the same is lit with fire, culminating the function. A variety of traditional Assamese sweets and cakes like the Laru, Pitha etc. are prepared on the occasion in every home. The next day is spent by visiting relatives and friends to convey and exchange the Bihu greetings; the guests, neighbours and relatives are treated with the snacks prepared for occasion.

3.   The Kati Bihu to the Kongaali Bihu

Compared to "Rongali" and Bhogali Bihu, "Kati Bihu" is a tame affair celebrated in the month of Kartika. the Kaati Bihu marks the completion of sowing and transplanting of paddies. Kaati Bihu is also called Kongaali Bihu or the Festival of the Poor. It is held in the beginning of the Kati (7th month of the Assamese calendar) (middle of October), the Bihu marks silent prayer in the form of lighting of earthen lamps in the paddy fields and also near Tulasi tree for the success of the crop.

One important aspect of the Bihu festival is that the entire Assamese Community irrespective caste, creed and religious followings celebrate it.

Musical Instrument Used In Bihu  :-

The folk songs associated with Bohaag Bihu are known as ‘Bihu Geet’; Bihu Geet is symbolic of communication of love and romance among the village youth and the village belles. The merriments include famous Bihu dance along with the enthralling beats of Dhol, Gangana. Toka and Pepa (buffalo hornpipe). Songs sung during the Bihu festival are woven around themes of love and most of the time carry erotic overtones.

Costumes of Bihu Dance:-

Dancers wear traditionally colorful Assamese clothing. People adorn traditional attires like Dhoti, Gamocha and Chadar, Mekhala. People wearing the bright colourful clothethes add as an extra positive outlook towards the dance.

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